Haiti
Haiti, situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and America, La Tortue (Tortuga), Grand Canyon, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; the Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti. Its total land area is 10,714 square miles (27,750 square km) and its capital is Port-au-Prince, on the main island of Hispaniola. A former French colony, it was the first country in the Americas after the United States to declare its independence. It is widely believed that Haiti has the poorest economy in the Western Hemisphere with over 1 billion dollars in debt. Meanwhile, the United States economy towers at a whopping 458 billion dollars in debt (2016)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_current_account_balance . |- | align="center" colspan=2 | National motto: L'Union Fait La Force (French: Union Makes Strength) |- | align=center colspan=2 style="background: #fff;" | image:LocationHaiti.png |- | Official languages | Kreyòl, French |- | Capital | Port-au-Prince |- | President | Boniface Alexandre (interim) |- | Prime Minister | Gérard Latortue |- | Area - Total - % water | Ranked 143rd 27,750 km² 0.7% |- | Population - Total (Year) - Density | Ranked 92nd 7.5 million (July 2003) 271/km² |- | GDP - Total (Year) - GDP/head | $10.6 billion (2002) $1,400 |- | Currency | Gourde (HTG) |- | Time zone | UTC -5 (no DST) |- | Independence - Declared - Recognised | (from France) January 1, 1804 1825 (Fr), 1863 (USA) |- | National anthem | La Dessalinienne |- | Internet TLD | .ht |- | Calling Code | 509 |} Introduction / Main Page =History= Early History Fall of the once Mighty Roman Empire In AD 476 the emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Romulus Augustus, was overthrown and the first in a series of non-Roman Germanic Kings took his place. This event is usually given as the fall of the once Mighty Roman Empire, which had ruled much of the known world for 500 years. However, this imperial collapse affected only the western section of the empire. the Eastern Roman Empire survived and thrived as the Byzantine Empire. In 1453 the ottoman Turks captured Constantinople and thus ended the Byzantine Empire Indo-European trade through the Incense Route, Spice trade and the maritime Silk Road has been a key trade route for millennia. Here India refers to not just the modern day India, but the whole of South and South East Asia. This region shared common cultural, religion and linguistic roots. This lucrative trade route has significantly influenced world history. Piracy in this trade route, for instance, diverted the trade via the inland region in Arabia leading Mecca to become a major trading point that in turn led to the rise of Islam. Rise of Islam and the Mongol Invasion Since the rise of Islam, this trade route had become problematic for the Europeans. Europeans didn't want to trade with the Muslims and tried their best to avoid them. However, there were not many alternatives. In parallel, Europe went into the medieval period with a drop in trade in the Mediterranean and the power centers migrated away from the Mediterranean. The Mongols would change that. In the 13th century they would begin the quest to build the greatest empire in history and would create a free trade area stretching from South East Asia to Europe. Explorers like Marco Polo if he himself didn't travel, at the very least his uncles did and he wrote a lot of exciting stuff about the east would travel to the east and bring exciting accounts. The Mongol invasion brought key inventions such as the compass from China to Western Europe. This brought a new interest in sailing and Portuguese royals such as Prince Henry the Navigator began exploring more. Interestingly, this was also the period the other cultures started their own sea expeditions such as Zheng He's expeditions from Ming era China. Fall of Constantinople By the middle of the 15th century, Western Europe acquired the tools and passion for sailing. They just needed a big reason now. The Turks provided them. The rapid rise and fall of the Mongols realigned the world. One of the key side-effects was that a lot of new central Asian cultures began exploring gunpowder and 3 of them used to build massive empires (Gunpowder Empires). One of the three was the Ottoman Turks who rode into Anatolia and began besieging the Byzantine holdout of Constantinople. In May 1453, Constantinople would fall. The fall of that great city would both send shockwaves about Islamic domination and also make it even harder to do trade with India. Mongols had ensured free trade for a while and their exit has already made trade hard through land. Both these reasons provided sufficient enough for the Portuguese explorers who as we mentioned previously had already acquired critical technology to do long voyages. Finding the Alternate Route As the Portuguese royals were increasingly looking for new routes, a variety of Italians offered them ideas. A France-born Italian guy named Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli proposed that they should sail west and they would hit India eventually. The king thought it would be too long. In 1488 he got the alternative route to the Indian Ocean by a guy named Bartolomeu Dias. Columbus took upon Toscanelli's plan and seeing that the Portuguese crown was still looking for the route via Africa da Gama would succeed in that route in 1497 - five years after Columbus landed in Americas he went to the Spanish crown. The Spaniards possibly felt that they were lagging behind Portugal in seafaring and funding Columbus' botched up idea. As luck would have it, he would land in the Caribbean before he would run out of supplies. Some speculate that the real reason Columbus was 'sailing the ocean blue' was because he violated the 13 year old daughter of a Spanish Duchess. They couldn't kill him without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella just sent him on a mission they didn't think he would return from. It is also ON PUBLIC RECORD that he rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native Americans to have their way with. At times, they would make an example of a Native by cutting his hands off and tying them around his neck, then telling him to go and 'share the message' with the rest of his tribe. Other times they would go and massacre an entire village, unconcerned with the age of their victims. (It's no wonder the 'elite' gave him a holiday..) Washed ashore When Columbus first came ashore and was greeted by the Arawak native Americans with smiles, gifts and food, he wrote in his log: “They brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things … they willingly traded everything they owned … They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane … They would make fine servants … With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” '' From the very outset Columbus was writing about conquering and enslaving the natives. Meanwhile the Arawaks, brought gifts, prepared food, and traded everything they owned. Columbus wrote that the natives, ''"are so naïve and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone." He also wrote, “I believe that they would easily be made Christians, because it seemed to me that they had no religion.” The European settlers took a free society without possessions, property, currency, hierarchy or written religion and replaced it with today’s America – the world’s shining beacon of selfish materialism, where every square inch of land/water/airspace is publicly or privately owned, taxed, and governed through a corrupt hierarchical system of laws and regulations where Mother Nature’s gifts are treated as personal possessions to be bought, sold, owned and defended. Columbus wrote: ‘As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts.’ The information that Columbus wanted most was: Where is the gold? … His second expedition was given seventeen ships and more than twelve hundred men. The aim was clear: slaves and gold … They went from island to island in the Caribbean, taking Indians as captives … roaming the island in gangs looking for gold, taking women and children as slaves for sex and labor.” “It was his Columbus’ avowed aim to ‘convert the heathen Indians to our Holy Faith’ that warranted the enslaving and exporting of thousands of Native Americans. That such treatment resulted in complete genocide did not matter as much as that these natives had been given the opportunity of everlasting life through their exposure to Christianity. The same sort of thinking also gave Westerners license to rape women. In his own words, Columbus described how he himself ‘took his pleasure’ with a native woman after whipping her ‘soundly’ with a piece of rope.” Helen Ellerbe, “The Dark Side of Christian History” (86-88) By 1496 the settlers were responsible for massively numerous native American deaths. We are not talking about some guy who accidentally bumped into America looking for a spice-trade route to India, but that’s what the standardized textbooks continue to tell our children about him. Personally, I don't even know why the mainstream historical texts say he 'discovered America' since Natives were obviously in America long before he was, AND for the fact that most of the tribes he slaughtered or enslaved were in the Caribbean. (There is ZERO evidence that he even found 'the mainland of North America'. There are some claims that he landed somewhere in the Florida Keys, but it's hard to say if they're true at this point.) Middle History Modern History After World War II At the time of the late 18th century Haitian Revolution, perhaps 50,000 Haitian white sugar Planters, free blacks, and slaves settled in the United States in New Orleans, New York, and other cities but particularly Philadelphia. More recently the U.S. military occupation of Haiti educated Haitians who resisted U.S. intervention. Over 90% of these Haitians were blacks and mulattos, many of whom settled in the Harlem section of Manhattan. There they worked in the Garment industry or became importers or retailers. Like more recent arrivals, their everyday language was a creole based partly on French. After World War II, Haitian women were recruited for work as maids in Los Angeles, Washington, and other places. Others migrated to the Bahamas to replace upwardly-mobile Bahamians in farm labor and menial service jobs. However, most Haitian immigrants to the U.S. have come since 1957, the beginning of the Duvalier dictatorships. During the 1960's and 1970's, a great many professional students and politicians opposed Duvalier's policies and came to America later joined by spouses and other family members. Presumably, such middle-class migrants constituted most of the Haitian population outside Florida and the largest metropolitan areas in 1980. However as political and economic conditions in Haiti worsened in the 1970s, relatively few were well-educated people immigrated especially to Florida. Because so many Haitians have settled illegally in the US and have wished to avoid contact with the government officials, the population of Haitian ancestry may have been substantially undercounted in the 1980 census. New York and other Northern cities The importance of New York City for Haitians is indicated by the fact in 1980 over half the people of Haitian ancestry in the entire country lived in that city. Many Haitians have became taxi drivers and those who had been in business on the island have often done the same here, serving a predominantly Haitian clientele. A Haitian neighborhood has appeared on Manhattan's Upper West Side when many new arrivals settle for a few years amid the Brownstone and high rise apartments and Welfare hotels have been Haitian Dominican and Puerto Rican stores restaurants and clubs although Haitians have tended to congregate socially among themselves they have been able to buy familiar foods and shops run by English or Spanish speaking West Indians. The largest settlement has been in Brooklyn where the residents of some apartment houses supervised by Haitians are almost all Haitian for those who could afford to move from Brooklyn or Manhattan the most pretty prestigious housing in the city has been in parts of Queens that borough has been the center of Haitian nightlife in New York City and home to the lighter-skinned elite. In New York and other cities Haitians have generally settled and black residential areas they have kept to themselves socially and often use Creole to accentuate their distinctiveness from most American blacks while remaining almost invisible to whites in the surrounding areas after some Haitians move from New York to Boston in the 1960s hoping for a quiet or life better jobs and cheaper housing others came directly from Haiti the community has been centered in some of the Cities large black neighborhoods but also has become dispersed into nearby cities in Evanston, Cook County, Illinois many in the community of several hundred have worked in factories hospitals nursing homes and others are maids in private homes South Florida Direct migration to South Florida begin in late 1972 when the arrival of a boatload of refugees proved that it was possible to seal in a primitive craft from Haiti across the Gulf Stream to Florida's south east coast. People increasingly took the risk of hazardous voyages and small ships in order to be smuggled from Haiti to the coast of Florida. The flow increased in 1977 as the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic destinations of earlier Haitian labor migration begin persecuting and expelling Haitians. At the same time, conditions in Haiti worsened and the United States and Canada assigned fewer visas for Haitians. For several years boats landed frequently on the coast of Southern Florida with the escapees usually requesting political asylum. Most such requests were refused and until 1982, many Haitians were jailed in the Miami area or in Puerto Rico. The plight of these Haitians was well-publicized for a few years in 1981. The flow diminished when the Haitian government acted to reduce immigration and the United States turned back boats. The illegal entry of so many poor foreign blacks has led to much local resentment among both blacks and whites Most Haitians in Miami in 1980 where young single adults typically illiterate and unskilled males but some us-born children had already appeared north of Miami-Downtown. Haitians have formed the Little Haiti in the area of low cost housing near jobs and warehousing and garment factories. Other Haitians have become farm Workers in the Miami (Dade County), Belle Glade (Palm Beach County), and Clewiston (Hendry County) areas. Many have joined the annual streams of migrant workers heading north to pick strawberries, tomatoes, pecans, peaches, apples, and vegetables at various places from Northern Florida to New York State. Haitians have mixed little with other farm workers because of cultural differences and the frustration exhibited over Haitian intrusion in the labor market =Politics= Main article: Politics of Haiti Haiti is a presidential republic with an elected president and National Assembly. However, some claim it to be an authoritarian government in practice. On 29 February 2004, a rebellion culminated in the defacto resignation of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and it is unknown if the current political structure will remain. The constitution was introduced in 1987 and is modeled on those of the United States and France. Having been either completely or partially suspended for some years, it was fully reinstated in 1994. =Departments= Main article: Departments of Haiti Haiti is divided into ten departments (provinces): *Artibonite *Centre *Grand'Anse *Nippes *Nord *Nord-Est *Nord-Ouest *Ouest *Sud *Sud-Est Main article: Geography of Haiti Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains with small coastal plains and river valleys. The east and central part is a large elevated plateau. The biggest city is the capital Port-au-Prince with 2 million inhabitants, followed by Cap-Haïtien with 600,000. =Economy= Main article: Economy of Haiti Haiti remains the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since the 1980s. Haiti now ranks 150th of 175 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index. About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty, making it the second poorest country in the world. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced little job creation since President René Préval took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance. =Demographics= Main article: Demographics of Haiti Although Haiti averages about 270 people per square kilometer, its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. Around 80-85% of Haitians are predominately of African descent, with most having other racial admixture in their lineage. Only 15-25% in the black population are purely of African descent. Europeans such as the French, Spanish, Germans, Italians, Polish, Dutch and English have all settled on the island. Immigrants from the Middle East such as Syrians, Lebanese and Palestinians have also settled. There are a number of Jewish descendants. People of East Indian and East Asian descent are present as well. The rest of the population is comprised of Mulattoes, Europeans, Arabs and Asians. Many Haitians also have indigenous Taino Indian heritage. About two thirds of the population live in rural areas. French is one of two official languages, and is spoken and/or understood by a large number of the people. Nearly all Haitians speak Krèyol(Creole), the country's other official language. English is increasingly spoken among the young and in the business sector. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority professes. Protestantism is the second most practiced religion. Only a very small amount of Haitians practice voodoo traditions. =Culture= Main articles: Culture of Haiti =Miscellaneous topics= * Communications in Haiti * Transportation in Haiti * Military of Haiti * Foreign relations of Haiti = External links = *AlterPresse, news briefs in several languages. *CIA World Fact Book - Haiti *FAU Haitian Student Association *Haiti News *Haiti Support Group *National Coalition for Haitian Rights *National Palace *Port Haiti *Haitian History, Maps and News *Le Site haitien du développement alternatif *US Senate Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs - Haiti *Windows on Haiti *Haiti-news list, news about Haiti *Haiti Paper Money - Private, Colonial and Government Issues from 1790 to 2004 (bicentennial). Approximately 450 different banknotes displayed along with relevant original articles. *http://www.mappinghaitianhistory.com/plantations-and-sugar-mills/ - Plantations and sugar mills category:browse Category:Caribbean Category:Haiti Category:Caribbean countries Category:CARICOM_member_states 01 Category:Francophonie